A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mirrors of the type used by people as an aid in performing certain personal grooming tasks such as shaving and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel mirror device which includes an adapter which is readily attached between an existing shower pipe or arm and shower nozzle, the device including a fogless mirror located at the end of rigid arm adjustably fastened to the adapter and adjustable at any desired position relative to the shower arm, thus enabling a person standing in a shower enclosure to omni-directionally adjust the mirror and obtain a clear, fogless, condensation-free image of himself or herself, in spite of the high humidity produced by warm or hot water issuing from the shower nozzle.
B. Description of Background Art
A substantial number of people utilize mirrors while showering to facilitate performance of personal care functions such as shaving. However, the use of mirrors in showers was formerly relatively limited, because the warm moist air within a shower enclosure tends to quickly condense on the surface of any mirror used in the shower, obscuring an image of a person""s face reflected from the mirror surface so completely as to render the mirror practically useless within a few minutes after a shower has begun.
In response to the problem of moisture condensing on a mirror surface and thereby limiting the usefulness of mirrors in high humidity environments, such as shower enclosures and other locations within a bathroom, the present inventor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,468, issued Mar. 29, 1988, a xe2x80x9cfoglessxe2x80x9d mirror which is highly resistant to formation of condensation droplets on the surface of the mirror. The fogless mirror disclosed in the ""468 patent utilizes warm water tapped from the warm water supply pipe to a shower head, to heat the surface of the mirror. Since water vapor in a shower produced largely by evaporation, the water vapor is always somewhat cooler than the warm water supplied to the shower head. And, since water vapor will condense only on surfaces which are at lower temperature than the vapor, heating the surface of the mirror precludes fogging of the mirror. Therefore, the fogless mirror disclosed in the present inventor""s ""468 patent proved to be a highly effective solution to the problem of bathroom mirror fogging, and mirrors utilizing the teachings of that patent have been widely marketed and used.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,668, Christianson, Self-Supported, Adjustable Condensation-Free Shower Mirror, discloses a condensation-free shower mirror which includes a T-joint having at one end an internally threaded part adapted to be screwed onto a shower head, at the other end an externally threaded part adapted to threadingly receive a shower nozzle. A hollow flexible arm protruding from a side of the T-joint has attached to an outer end thereof a mirror assembly which receives a portion of warmer water flowing through the T-fitting from the shower head to the shower nozzle, through a flexible tube contained within the flexible arm. The mirror may be adjusted to a desired position relative to the outlet side of the T-fitting, by bending the flexible arm. However, since the exact angular location of the T-fitting side pipe relative to the longitudinal axis of the fitting is constrained by how tightly the fitting is tightened onto the shower head, the exact polar angle of the flexible arm relative to the longitudinal axis of the shower head is not adjustable by the user. Moreover, for orientations of the mirror laterally outwards of the shower head, relatively large torques are exerted on the flexible arm, which can cause the mirror to droop from its adjusted position.
In view of the limitations of prior art adjustable fogless shower mirrors of the type alluded to above, the present inventor conceived of the present invention.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fogless shower mirror device which includes an adapter that is readily installable between an existing shower head and shower nozzle, including a mirror assembly which is adjustably coupled to a distal end of a rigid arm adjustably coupled at a proximal end thereof the adapter, whereby the mirror assembly is adjustably positionable relative to the shower head and nozzle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fogless shower mirror device which includes an adapter assembly which is installable between an existing shower head and shower nozzle, the adapter having a T-coupling including a radially disposed side pipe orbitally adjustable with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shower head, and a secondary right angle or L-coupling including an input leg coextensive with the outlet side pipe of the T-coupling, and an outlet arm perpendicular to the outlet side pipe of the T-coupling which is orbitally adjustable in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shower arm.
Another object of the invention is to provide an omni-directionally adjustable fogless shower mirror which includes an adapter installable between a shower head and shower nozzle, a side arm member which protrudes radially outward from the adapter and which is orbitally adjustable with respect to the longitudinal axis of the adapter and shower head, an elongated rigid mirror support arm which protrudes perpendicularly from an arm connector union rotatably fitted over the side arm member, the union being orbitally adjustable to thereby locate the end of the mirror support arm at any angular position in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shower head and adapter, and a mirror assembly adjustably coupled to a distal end of the mirror assembly support arm by means of a ball and socket joint, each of the members having communicating water passageways for conveying a portion of the water flowing through the adapter from the shower head to the shower nozzle to be diverted and thereby flow through the side arm and a hollow mirror assembly support arm into a hollow interior space between an inner surface of a mirror plate and a frame holding the mirror plate, the water exiting the hollow interior space of the frame through a plurality of small orifices in the frame after heating the mirror plate and thereby prevent water from condensing on the surface of the mirror.
Various other objects and advantages of the present invention, and is most novel features, will become apparent to those skilled in the art by perusing the accompanying specification, drawings and claims.
It is to be understood that although the invention disclosed herein is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages described, the characteristics of the invention described herein are merely illustrative of the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, I do not intend that the scope of my exclusive rights and privileges in the invention be limited to details of the embodiments described. I do intend that equivalents, adaptations and modifications of the invention reasonably inferable from the description contained herein be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Briefly stated, the present invention comprehends a mirror device for use by a person in a warm, moist environment typical of that in a shower enclosure, the device including a xe2x80x9cfoglessxe2x80x9d mirror mounted on the end of a rigid arm which is adjustable to any suitable orientation and free of potentially image distorting condensation from forming on the surface of the mirror.
An omni-directionally adjustable rigid-arm fogless mirror device according to the present invention includes a shower head adapter assembly which adjustably supports an arm and mirror assembly, and which is readily installable between an existing shower head and shower nozzle. According to the invention, the adapter assembly includes an adapter tube which has at one end thereof a longitudinally disposed, internally threaded section adapted to threadingly receive the outwardly protruding end of a shower head pipe, and at the other end thereof a longitudinally disposed, externally threaded section adapted to be insertably and threadingly received within the internally threaded rear entrance port of a shower spray nozzle.
The mirror device according to the present invention includes a tubular arm adapter member which has a longitudinally disposed coaxial bore which receives the shower head adapter tube. The arm adapter has a radially outwardly protruding, short boss section and a coaxially located, radially outwardly protruding cylindrically-shaped bushing support arm of smaller diameter which has protruding from an outer end thereof a threaded stud. The arm adapter is rotatable around the shower head adapter tube to position the boss section at a desired polar angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shower head adapter tube and securable at the desired position by tightening an adjusting nut threaded onto the externally arm adapter. The angular position of the arm adapter is securely held by the engagement of a plurality of triangular lugs which protrude forward from an enlarged diameter rear boss section of the shower head adapter tube, with a plurality of triangularly-shaped notches formed in a rear annular wall surface of the arm adapter. Thus positioned, an annular groove in the outer surface of the shower head adapter tube, which communicates with a bore through the adapter tube by means of a small orifice disposed radially through the groove, is axially aligned with a small perforation disposed radially through the base of the side arm adapter boss section, between the stud support cylinder and the inner cylindrical wall surface of the boss. Thus, a small portion of water under pressure within the bore of the shower head adapter tube is enabled to flow radially outwardly through the adapter tube orifice, into the annular groove in the outer wall surface of the shower head adapter tube, and thence through the axially aligned perforation in the arm adapter.
The mirror device includes an arm assembly that has an elongated tubular mirror support arm which has at a proximate end thereof a perpendicularly disposed tubular arm connector bushing or union which fits rotatably over the bushing support arm that protrudes radially outwardly from the arm adapter. The arm connector bushing is securable at an adjustable orbital angle around the longitudinal axis of the bushing support arm by a locking knob and lock washer tightened onto a threaded stud protruding from the bushing support arm. Also, the arm connector bushing has a larger internal diameter lower tubular portion which has a lower annular face which rotatably contacts an annular gasket which fits within the bore of the arm adapter boss, and is seated on the face thereof. Since the small radially disposed aperture through the base of the arm adapter boss is radially aligned with the inner bore of the arm connector assembly bushing, water exiting radially outwards through the arm adapter perforation travels radially outwardly between a longitudinally elongated annular space formed between the inner cylindrical wall surface of the arm connector assembly bushing and the outer cylindrical wall surface of the stud support cylinder, and thence into a bore longitudinally disposed through the arm.
Located at the distal end of the mirror support arm is a hollow ball, which fits in a fluid pressure-tight seal within a socket which protrudes radially outwards from a circular mirror frame. The ball has disposed longitudinally therethrough a bore which communicates at an inner end thereof with the bore through the arm, and at the outer end thereof with a bore through the mirror frame socket. The latter communicates at an inner radial end thereof with a hollow lenticular space between a reflective front mirror plate and a circular-shaped frame back plate. Warm water which is conducted from the shower head adapter tube to the interior space behind the mirror plate is expelled through a plurality of small relief holes formed in the rear surface of the mirror frame back plate. Heat transferred from the warm shower head supply to the mirror plate by warm water is sufficient to heat the mirror plate to a temperature which prevents condensation of water upon the mirror plate, thus affording a clear, undistorted image of the user.